Villeneuve-de-Rivière combines church art and local history with a hike through hilly terrain and views of the Pyrenees range. The church and the bastide give the town historical depth; the Sentier des Serres offers a different focus with a longer loop outdoors. Cultural discoveries and physical activity therefore stand side by side as different ways to spend your stay.

The Church and Bastide History

In the lower part of Villeneuve-de-Rivière stands the three-aisled, neo-Romanesque Église Notre Dame de l'Assomption. It replaced an older church in the mid-19th century. “Three-aisled” describes a church interior divided into three aisles; “neo-Romanesque” refers to the revival of Romanesque forms. The two terms thus describe both the building’s layout and its architectural classification.

The church preserves a restored wooden Christ from the 12th century and an 18th-century wrought-iron grille from the Abbaye de Bonnefont. The artworks offer contrasting features: the material changes from wood to iron, and several centuries separate their creation. The church building itself can also be placed in a historical context: it replaced an older predecessor in the mid-19th century, while the preserved works date from considerably earlier centuries.

The bastide of Villeneuve was founded in the 13th century. In 1285, it received a charter from Roger Bernard, Count of Foix. The foundation and the charter are two distinct historical reference points: the foundation is assigned to a century, while the charter bears an exact year. Together, they trace the bastide’s development using both a broad and a precise chronological marker.

Hiking the Sentier des Serres

The Sentier des Serres circular hiking trail starts at the cemetery in Villeneuve-de-Rivière. The easy hike is 12 kilometres long and takes about three and a half hours. The loop is therefore a substantial standalone activity for your day’s itinerary; the duration is an approximate guide.

The trail crosses hilly terrain, with stretches through woodland and more open areas. The open sections offer views of the Pyrenees range. The landscape thus alternates between wooded stretches and more open sections with views. If you’re looking for this combination on a hike, you’ll find it on a route with a clearly identified starting point, distance and approximate time required.

Parc des Expositions du Comminges

The Parc des Expositions du Comminges is in Villeneuve-de-Rivière on the D117 towards Tarbes, 3 kilometres from exit 18 of the A64. The venue has 300 paved parking spaces. If the Parc is the reason for your trip, you can take its location on the D117 and its distance from the motorway exit into account when planning your journey.

The Parc also hosts the Les Pyrénéennes fair. Dates can vary from one edition to the next. So if you’d like to coordinate your stay with the fair, check the dates for the relevant edition when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Aspet, Gardouch, Cardeilhac, Quint-Fonsegrives, Paulhac, Saint-Jean, Coueilles, Agassac.

For the wider travel overview: Haute-Garonne.